


Halcyon Days

by Yana



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Age Regression/De-Aging, Castiel in the Bunker, De-Aged Dean Winchester, Domestic, Human Castiel, Kevin Lives, Light Angst, Love Confessions, M/M, POV Castiel, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Witchcraft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-19
Updated: 2015-04-19
Packaged: 2018-03-24 20:25:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,983
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3783262
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yana/pseuds/Yana
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Halcyon days are fourteen days when the winds and waves are calm, a bright period of time of peace. Even if it was thanks to witchcraft.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Halcyon Days

**Author's Note:**

> I may or may not read some de-aged Dean fics and got inspired. I'm doing Camp NaNoWriMo, but I'm stuck with my main story so I wrote this to boost my word count. Hope you'll enjoy!

“Cas?”

“Yes, Dean?”

“I love you.”

With that Dean continued eating his meal like nothing had happened.

Castiel frowned and turned his head towards Sam. The man sat next to Dean, looking at his brother with a wide smile.

“Oh! Aren’t you so adorable!” he said, ruffling Dean’s hair, who in return giggled with his mouth full.

They had been working on a case, involving witches that Dean hated so much. Castiel could understand the reason now. Witches were sly. You didn’t know what kind of spells they had up their sleeve and which one would they cast on the hunter who dared breaking inside their house during a complicated ritual. He couldn’t decide if Dean was lucky or not that it was only a de-aging spell.

Dean had been turned into his three years old self. He was tiny compared to how tall he was as a grown man. His hair was also longer, making it blonder. Castiel and Sam had no idea how much Dean knew about his life, if he had lost some memories or not due to becoming much younger. He recognized them and knew who they were and at the moment that was enough.

Sam had been the next one to enter the house. He saw the spell hitting Dean then attacked the witches. There were two of them and his quick actions helped him take down them quickly. Castiel came inside next and was at Dean’s side in a moment. That was when they saw what had happened.

“It would wear off!” the witch casting the spell had screamed when Sam was about to beat an answer out of her. “It would wear off in a week or two!”

In a week or two Dean would be the same again. Until then they had to look after him. Not only his body was de-aged. He acted like an actual three years old and his abilities were on such level.

“At least we don’t have to buy diapers” Sam had sighed with relief when Dean told him he needed to go to the bathroom back at the motel.

Dean had pouted at that.

“I’m not a baby!”

“Of course you’re not!” Sam had laughed and ruffled Dean’s hair affectionately.

Finishing the case, Sam had brought cloths so Dean wouldn’t have to wear his adult sized shirts for that week or two. He also had some toys and a child safety seat in the cart.

“Never thought I would ever buy one of these” he had said as the two of them tried to attach it to the backseat.

They had been about six hours away from the bunker when they had stopped at the diner. Where this conversation had happened.

Castiel was stunned. Dean had never been so open regarding his feelings. He was a man of actions, not words. He showed by gestures and care his affection, but never said anything.

“Sam?” he asked after Dean was asleep for half an hour now.

“Yeah?”

“Why did he say that? Back in the diner?”

Sam’s lips curled up and glanced at Castiel with bright eyes.

“He’s a kid, Cas. Kids don’t hide their emotions. They’re not ashamed of them.”

Sam turned his attention back to the road, so Castiel guessed the conversation was over. He looked away too, watching the landscape, listening to the soft snores behind him, deep in his thoughts.

 

*****

 

It was around midnight when they finally arrived. They had had to stop a few times to take a bathroom break and to have a quick meal but it didn’t bother any of them. In Castiel’s opinion it had been rather nice. Peaceful. Happy.

He had texted Charlie an hour earlier about their arrival and their situation. She was waiting for them with Kevin in the garage when Sam parked the Impala. The young woman didn’t wait for them to get out. She made a beeline to the back door and opened it.

“Oh my gosh!” she said. “So cute!”

Castiel turned in his seat to watch the scene. Dean just woke up a few minutes ago so his eyelids were still heavy. But still, the moment his gaze met with Charlie’s, his eyes lit up.

“Charlie!”

“Hey there, little one!” she chuckled. “Let me help you get out of this.”

She quickly unfastened the seatbelt and took Dean out, holding him in her arms.

“This is so weird…” Kevin muttered, leaning forward to look at Dean a little closer. “So. Weird.”

“But isn’t it wonderful?” Charlie asked. “We can finally see how adorable he can really be. Right?” And to prove her point, she nuzzled against Dean’s forehead who answered with a cheerful laughter.

“Okay, guys.” Sam stepped to them, taking Dean from Charlie. “Dean needs to sleep, you can play in the morning.”

Dean laid his head on Sam’s shoulder, eyes already dropping. But before they were out of the garage, he reached out towards Castiel and waved with his tiny fingers. Castiel couldn’t help but smile and wave back.

 

*****

 

Charlie made it her mission to be the ‘awesome and badass aunt’, as she called it. She took every opportunity to make Dean’s little second childhood as perfect as possible. They played with cars, built castles from colorful wooden blocks, dressed up us comic book characters and played hide-and-seek.

And everywhere the two of them went, they dragged Castiel along with them.

It was exhausting. Dean was full of energy, always moving, only stopping for a few moments then he was running again. Castiel almost couldn’t keep up with him but he managed.

After two hours of constant moving, they finally settled in the corner of the library. Dean was kneeling on the floor, crayons all around him, and drew with enthusiasm. He already filled a couple of papers with swirls and lines, sometimes with recognizable motives like suns.

Castiel sat on the floor with his back against the wall. Charlie was sitting next to him, both of them watching Dean in the process of creating things with the movement of his hands.

“I adore kids. A lot” Charlie said, a wide smile spreading on her face. “They are so… sweet and carefree. I envy them a lot. I envy Dean a lot.”

Castiel only nodded, not knowing how to answer. Angels never had a childhood. They had been created, ready to obey orders the moment after that. Castiel had no idea what being a child was like. He didn’t know how being carefree felt. His head had always been focusing on the task ahead, he had never had time to take a break. Only in the past year did he have the opportunity to relax but relaxing as an adult was far from relaxing as a child.

Dean suddenly looked up at him…

“Cas, I love you.”

…then turned back to drawing.

Charlie let out a high pitched squeal. Castiel rubbed his aching ear.

“My sweet tooth fairy! I’m melting!”

Dean looked at her, laughing.

“You’re not!”

“Yes, I am! I’m melting! Look!”

And with that, arms held up high, Charlie fell on her back on Castiel’s lap with a ‘Blah!’ which Castiel guessed was supposed to be the sound effect of her melting.

Dean giggled. He got up and laid down on his back on Castiel’s legs, resting his head on Charlie’s stomach, spreading out his arms.

“Blah!”

Laughter broke out from both of them, shaking Castiel as they did. Castiel looked down and his eyes met with Dean’s bright green gaze. He watched Castiel with a toothy grin who showed him a gentle smile.

 

*****

 

“You can’t catch me!”

“Yes, I can!”

“No, you can’t!”

Sam laughed, trying to catch Dean but always missing him by an inch. Dean was running around and between Sam’s legs in the war room.

Castiel sat in the library with his morning coffee in his hand, scrolling down news sites for any potential cases but always found himself glancing at the brothers. He wondered what Dean would have become if he had a childhood like this. A safe home, a whole and loving family, not always on the move with a drunk father and monsters lurking in the shadows.

Castiel looked down at his lap. Dean deserved so much better, not a mother burning on the ceiling, decades in Hell and a destiny he hadn’t want anything to do with. He deserved to be happy, live in peace, be loved. But the only things he got were pain and tears.

He was so deep in his thoughts that he missed the footsteps approaching him, so he almost jumped and spilled the coffee on the laptop when two short arms came around his torso, hugging him tightly.

“Love you, Cas!”

Castiel only realized it had been Dean when he was already running back to Sam to continue their game.

 

*****

 

“Finally! Outside! I was going crazy in that hole.”

Kevin stretched as soon as they stepped outside the bunker, taking a deep breath.

Children needed fresh air every day, so they took turns who would go outside with Dean. It was Kevin and Castiel’s turn now.

They had no destination as they walked. They made their way through the small woods and arrived to a meadow. It was a warm afternoon, a gentle breeze moved the leaves behind them, and the only sound was the insects all around them.

Kevin laid down in the grass with his hands folded behind his head. Castiel sat next to him, watching Dean’s every move. He was not far from them, kneeling in the grass and observing something with deep concentration.

It had been five days since Dean was turned into a child. The end of the first week was quickly approaching and all four of them hoped that the witch was right. That the spell would wear off and Dean would turn back to normal. But until then…

Dean stood up, holding something in his hand.

“Kevin!”

The teen sat up slowly, looking at Dean questioningly.

“What is it?”

Arriving to the two of them, Dean took a seat on Castiel’s lap and extended his hand towards Kevin.

“A ladybug!”

The two of them looked at Dean’s open palm. The little beetle was running around Dean’s hand, who always put his other hand on the way when the ladybug made its path down to his wrist. Kevin smiled as they talked about the ladybug, Dean insisting that they sang to it.

“Oh!” Dean sighed when the ladybug opened its wings and flew away. But he was quickly on his feet, grabbing Kevin’s hand and pulling him. “Come on, Kevin! Let’s catch it!”

Kevin tried to protest, saying he didn’t want to run, but in the end, when he saw that he couldn’t change Dean’s mind, Kevin gave in and followed Dean through the meadow, chasing after the ladybug.

Castiel sighed and smiled. Until then they would enjoy every moment of the remaining days.

 

*****

 

“NO!” Dean shrieked. “I DON’T WANT TO WASH MY HAIR!”

He was throwing his arms around, hitting away Sam’s hands and splashing water out of the tube. Sam was still patient but Castiel knew he would soon run out of it.

“Next time you won’t roll on the ground” he said. “Your hair is full of dirt and grass. Look up!”

“NO!” Dean yelled.

Sam sighed. He put a hand under Dean’s chin, tilted up his head and poured water on his hair. The result was an ear piercing scream.

“NO! SAMMY NO! STOP!”

Sam ignored him and reached for the shampoo.

“I brought him clean cloths” Castiel spoke, putting down the neatly folded cloths on a chair.

“Thanks, Cas” Sam said as he rubbed the shampoo around the top of Dean’s head.

Hearing his voice, Dean turned to Castiel, calming down immediately. However, the silence didn’t last for long. A drop of water rolled down his forehead, right into his left eye. Dean cried out.

“IT HURTS!”

“Look up” Sam said with a calm voice. “I’m almost done.”

“BUT IT HURTS!” Dean sobbed, still crying when he was already wrapped in a warm towel.

Sam pulled a hand down his face, shoulders dropping.

“That was exhausting…”

“I can take it from here” Castiel suggested. “Go have a rest.”

Sam smiled at him thankfully and handed Castiel a second towel.

“I’m sorry” Castiel said a minute later. He was half kneeling on the bathroom floor, rubbing Dean’s hair with the towel. “I should have left without saying anything.”

Dean shook his head. He was not crying anymore but his left eye was still red and watery.

“It’s okay. I should have listened to Sammy.”

After putting down the towel, Castiel took Dean’s cloths from the chair. He was about to help him dress, when Dean put his hands on Castiel’s shoulder. Castiel stopped, looking at Dean with a frown. The seriousness was so strange on the young face.

“I love you, Cas” he said. “You know it, right?”

Castiel’s features softened. He brushed Dean’s damp hair from his eyes.

“Of course, Dean” he nodded.

Dean smiled widely. After quickly getting dressed they made their way to the kitchen for supper, Dean holding Castiel’s big hand with his tiny one.

 

*****

 

“It’s good to see him like this” Castiel admitted on the seventh day. He and Sam were sitting on the couch, watching Charlie and Kevin play some videogames with Dean on the floor. “If only he would be this happy when he turns back to himself again.”

A sad smile appeared on Sam’s face, eyes fixed on Dean who was sitting on Charlie’s lap, trying to snatch the controller away from her.

“Give it to me!” he demanded. “It’s my turn!”

“Patience, young padawan!” Charlie ruffled his hair. “I didn’t finish my lap yet.”

Dean crossed his arms and pouted.

“Yeah” Sam said softly. “It would be better for him.”

“What if he doesn’t turn back?” Castiel voiced the fear all of them had but never said out loud. “What if he stays a child? What are we going to do?”

Sam chewed on his bottom lip. He stayed silent for a while then turned to Castiel.

“If that happens, we will raise him. He’ll go to school, have friends and hobbies, and whatever he wants with his life, we will support him. That’s the least we can do.”

A real childhood, a hopeful future. Exactly that Dean deserved.

“Wouldn’t it be strange raising your older brother?”

“Yeah, it would be” Sam admitted. “But he did so much for me when we were kids. It’s only natural I do it for him. What about you?”

“Hm?” Castiel looked at Sam questioningly.

“What about you?” Sam repeated and stared at him.

Castiel’s breath hitched and he turned away, eyes settling on the little boy who finally got his hands on the controller. He knew what Sam meant. He knew what he was asking with his question.

“I’m happy if Dean’s happy” he said, the words burning his throat.

 

*****

 

They were out of many things by the end of the week. Castiel and Charlie volunteered to go shopping and upon hearing this, Dean wanted to go too.

“I won’t run around, I promise! Please! Please!” He showed Sam the ‘cutest puppy eyes ever’, as Charlie called it, and Sam couldn’t do anything but allow Dean to go with them.

“But just under one condition. You do whatever Cas and Charlie says.”

Dean’s eyes lit up and he hugged Sam’s leg.

“Thank you!”

That was how they found themselves in a supermarket, Castiel pushing the cart, Dean standing on it between his arms, and Charlie reading the shopping list.

“’kay, we have bread, vegetables, fruit, detergent, toilet paper, beer, snacks for Kevin, all we need now is meat and milk.” She looked back at them. “Anything else?”

Castiel shook his head then looked down at Dean.

“Do you need anything?”

Dean was about to shake his head too, but his eyes fixed on something on one of the shelves. As they passed by it, he turned his head back, watching whatever caught his gaze. Castiel stopped and looked back. They just passed the entrance of the toy section. Carefully Castiel walked backwards, pulling the cart with him.

“Which one do you like?” he asked.

Dean looked up at him with surprise, back at the toys, bit his lip and pointed at something. Castiel looked there and a soft smile spread on his face. He reached out and put the toy into the cart.

“Is it alright?”

Dean watched him, eyes wide like Castiel just made a miracle. Maybe he did, Castiel didn’t know what was in his young mind.

“Yes” he said finally. “Thank you.”

Castiel brushed Dean’s hair and followed Charlie.

It was a big white bear – a little shorter than Dean – with warm brown eyes. Honey. That was the bear’s name. Dean took it everywhere he went, always keeping it at sight. He dressed it in his cloths, brushed its fur, held tea parties where all of them were invited.

“Aren’t girls the ones who play like this?” Kevin asked with genuine curiosity after Dean was already in bed. “Tea parties and dressing toys and all? I’m not against it or anything, it’s just strange. Never thought Dean would play like this.”

“I played with action figures and toy guns when I was a kid” Charlie said and shrugged.

“Yeah, but you’re a girl” Kevin pointed out. “Girls can play with anything they want. But boys?”

“It depends on the parents if they encourage or forbid their sons to play with ‘girl toys’.”

Sam rubbed his jaw, eyes fixed on the table. Castiel couldn’t read anyone’s thoughts but he thought he knew what the younger Winchester was thinking about. How the role of the good son and good soldier had been forced on Dean at a very young age.

“Don’t say anything, okay?” Sam asked them. “Don’t embarrass him. If he stays like this, I don’t want him to repress his true self, okay? Hell, he can become a drag queen, I don’t care. I’ll love him, no matter what.”

Charlie grinned and patted his shoulder.

“That’s the spirit! If nothing changes, Dean will grow up to be the healthiest adult ever.”

They clinked their beers but Castiel didn’t put his heart into it. It was still early to think about this. The second week just started. Anything could happen. Or nothing at all. He had to prepare himself for that.

 

*****

 

“It hurts!” Dean whined. He was sitting on a chair in the kitchen with Sam kneeling in front of him, cleaning a bruise.

“Why were you running down the stairs?” Sam asked. “You’re lucky you only got this.”

Dean and Charlie had been chasing each other around the bunker when Dean had slipped and fell down a short staircase. The fright was bigger than harm fortunately, but Castiel’s heart was still pounding in his chest. What if something worse had happened? What if Dean had broken his leg or arm or both? What could he had done? Watch as Sam took him to a hospital?

At times like these he missed his Grace. With a touch of his fingers he could had healed Dean in a blink of an eye. He felt so useless…

“Don’t worry” Charlie said, putting a hand on his shoulder. “Kids are tough. They can fall a lot and only get a bruise or two.”

Charlie knew more about human children, he said to himself. He should listen to her. He should calm down. But he was still agitated, his fist clenching and unclenching without stopping.

After the band aid was placed on Dean’s knee and Sam allowed him to go, Dean hopped down the chair like his knee didn’t hurt anymore and took Castiel’s hand.

“Come on, Cas! Let’s draw!”

Castiel let himself being pulled, sighing in relief that Dean was all right.

 

*****

 

It was the thirteenth day already and everything was still the same. Castiel felt restless. The second week would end soon, why wasn’t anything happening? Dean should be back to normal by now. Or had the witch lied to them? That the de-aging spell wasn’t temporary but permanent?

The same idea must had formed in Sam’s head too because at the dawn of the fourteenth day he walked to Castiel.

“I’ll go and find the witch” he said. “She must have a counter spell or something.”

“What if there isn’t?” he asked.

Sam’s eyes darkened.

“There is.”

He took off a few hours later.

Hopeful thoughts about the future or not, they all missed the old Dean. The older Dean. They would care about Dean and surround him with love no matter how old he was, but still… Dean would never be the same again like this and Castiel missed the rough but gentle, broken but strong Dean he had known for years.

“Where’s Sammy?” Dean asked during breakfast, glancing at the door from time to time, waiting for his brother to enter.

“He had to go” Castiel answered. “He’ll be back in a few days.”

Dean looked down, saddened.

“He should have said goodbye” he muttered.

Castiel didn’t want to see Dean sad. Never again. He wanted to see his smile every day, every minute. So Castiel took his phone from his pocket and called Sam.

“ _Yeah, Cas? What is it?_ ”

“There’s someone who wants to talk with you.” He put the phone on speaker and put it on the table. He looked at Dean, encouraging him to speak. “Go on.”

Dean blinked at Castiel for a few moments then looked at the phone.

“Sammy.”

“ _Hey, Dean! What is it?_ ”

“You didn’t say goodbye.”

There was a pause on the other side then a sigh was heard.

“ _I’m sorry. You were sleeping. I didn’t want to wake you up._ ”

Dean pouted.

“Wake me up next time” he said. “I always want to say goodbye to you before you go.”

Sam chuckled.

“ _Okay. I promise, I won’t go without saying anything again._ ”

Dean smiled, satisfied with the answer.

“Come back soon, okay? I miss you.”

“ _I miss you too. Bye, Dean! Listen to the others!_ ”

“Okay! Bye, Sammy!”

Castiel ended the call and put away his phone. When he looked up, Dean was watching him, eyes shining with happiness and gratitude.

“Thank you, Cas! I love you!”

The warmth that had spread through his chest every time Dean said those three words now gave way to a burning pain.

 

*****

 

On the sixteenth day Dean was picking up the negative emotions inside the bunker.

He mainly played alone, talking to Honey with a low voice, going silent every time someone was getting close to him.

“Hey!” Charlie sat down next to him on the rug in the corner of the library. “Let’s dress up as superheroes! You’ll be Batman and I’ll be Wonder Woman. Cas can be the Martian Manhunter.”

Dean only shook his head and continued playing with his cars.

“It’s not good” Kevin said, sitting at the map table with Castiel and Charlie, looking at them with concern. “He’s closing off. What should we do?”

“He knows our smiles are not true” Castiel told them. “He can feel we are forcing ourselves and hide something from him.”

Charlie sighed.

“We have to wait for him to open up. It might take a while but he has to know we are there for him.”

Castiel didn’t have to wait for long. He was tucking in Dean that night when he pulled his arm from under the covers and grabbed Castiel’s hand when he was about to stand up.

“Cas?” His voice was small, almost frightened.

Castiel sat back, worried.

“Yes, Dean?”

Dean sat up and lifted Honey with his free hand.

“You know that Honey loves you, right?” he asked.

“Yes. And I feel honored.”

“And you know that I love you too, right?”

A smile appeared on his face.

“Of course. You would never let me forget it.”

Dean reflected his smile but it soon faded.

“Do you love me?”

Castiel felt the sadness spreading out in his chest. He raised his other hand and brushed Dean’s hair.

“Yes” he answered. “Yes, of course.”

Dean looked down, tugging the sleeve of Castiel’s shirt.

“But you miss the older me.”

It was the first time Dean mentioned his de-aging. They avoided the subject around Dean, but it seemed he was thinking about it anyway.

“I miss the old me too” he admitted, hugging his bear closer to him. “I want to be big, and go with Sammy to protect him. And there are other things too. Honey said I shouldn’t worry about it.”

“Honey is a very wise advisor” Castiel nodded.

Dean looked up.

“Will you still love me when I won’t change back?”

“Of course” Castiel answered without hesitation. “I will always miss the older you, but it doesn’t mean I would ever dislike you. You are you. Old or young, you are dear to me.”

Castiel thought he saw tears in Dean’s eyes but he was already hugging him before he could take a second look.

“Will you read me a bedtime story?”

Castiel brushed Dean’s hair and kissed the top of his head.

“Which one?”

 

*****

 

Later he admitted taking Dean to the playground was the best idea. Charlie and Kevin had gone to the local game store to buy a new game they had been waiting for months now and Castiel had suggested they would meet in the park. The sound of playing children had quickly drawn Dean’s attention and he had pulled Castiel with him towards it.

Castiel was sitting on a bench, watching Dean interact with the other children. He clearly had fun, running around with them, climbing monkey bars and playing in the sand. The painful feeling faded from Castiel’s chest after the previous night and he could finally say he was peaceful with the thought of Dean staying a child. He was sad that the hopes he used to have would never come true, but staying by Dean’s side, watching him growing up to be a better man than ever was everything he needed.

He had gotten a message from Sam that morning, telling him that the witch hadn’t been in the house anymore but he would look for her. Castiel wanted to tell Sam to just give it up and move on but he quickly changed his mind. Sam had to get there on his own pace, he shouldn’t rush it.

“Cas, I’m hungry” Dean said. Castiel picked him up, putting him down next to him on the bench, then opened a box of sliced apple.

They ate in silence for a while, watching the children playing, running back to their mothers or fathers from time to time then rushing away again. Dean wasn’t in a hurry. He ate his apple slowly, eyes fixed on something in the distance.

“Will you go back playing with them?” Castiel asked.

Dean smiled and shook his head.

“No. I had enough fun.” He looked up at Castiel. “I want to go home.”

Ten minutes later Charlie and Kevin returned and they headed back to the bunker.

 

*****

 

Castiel thought he woke up to his phone ringing but the sound quickly ended. He was about to fall asleep again when he heard voices. No. Just one voice.

“Hey, Sammy. … Yeah, back like the Terminator. … No idea. I woke up to my cloths trying to strangle me. I had to cut them with a knife. … Yeah, they were nice pajamas, but I had no choice. My head was too big.” A chuckle. “Yeah, yeah, shut up. Come back soon. I miss you, bitch. … Bye, Sammy.”

Castiel’s phone was placed back on the nightstand and he felt the bed dipping as somebody sat then laid down on it. Castiel took a shaky breath, finally opened his eyes and looked to his left.

“You’re an adult again.”

Dean smiled at him.

“Yeah, I guess.” He looked up at the ceiling. “Good to be myself again. I was an embarrassing kid.”

“You were an adorable child, Dean” Castiel reassured him.

Dean laughed.

“Yeah, right. It was embarrassing. All the things I did and said…” He glanced at Castiel then back to the ceiling, clearing his throat. “Yeah, it was embarrassing.”

Castiel turned to his side, propping himself up on his elbow to have a better look at Dean’s face.

“You were carefree, happy and at peace. Nothing to be embarrassed about.”

Dean’s eyes found his and he didn’t let the other man to look away. After a few long moments, Dean sighed.

“Yeah, okay” he admitted. “It was… good. Fun. I felt… good. Better than ever. And you guys were so nice. I don’t know how to thank you.”

Castiel smiled, brushing Dean’s hair.

“You don’t have to. It was only natural we would support you.”

“You were ready to raise me” Dean pointed out. “That’s no small task.”

Castiel raised a brow.

“How do you…”

“Kids are not dumb” Dean explained. “They have ears too. They hear everything, especially when they are the subject of the talk.”

They stared at each other in silence as Castiel continued brushing Dean’s hair. It was good to have him back. He would miss the child that lived with them for more than two weeks, but Dean was Dean. Old or young, he was dear to him.

Eventually, Dean turned on his side too, putting an arm around Castiel, burying his face into his chest. He said something with a muffled voice that Castiel couldn’t understand but regarding the red tint at the top of Dean’s ears, Castiel had a good guess what he had said.

With a smile on his face, Castiel hugged him with his right hand, leaning his forehead against Dean’s hair, mouth close to his ears.

“I love you too, Dean.”

**Author's Note:**

> I work in a daycare so for me it's easy to write about three year olds.
> 
> There's a girl in the daycare who always tells me "I love you" at random moments of the day (drawing, eating, playing, changing shoes, etc.), so I based Dean's behavior on her. Aquarians rarely or never say "I love you", not even as a kid (or at least that's what I observed). Aqua kids smile a lot, have a great humor but can also whine a lot (Haha! Memories of my own childhood X'D). Dean only said "I love you" once in canon, to his mother when he was a kid. But I think with a healthy environment around him and supporting adults, Dean could have been more open, more vocal with his feelings.
> 
> I also criticized bad parenting with boys. I can tell some stories about that too.
> 
> At first I only wanted to write fluff because I have never written fluff but the the story got out of hand and the angst appeared. I can't help it. Angst is interesting to write.
> 
> I hope you liked it! I started writing after midnight, took a break (means I went to sleep) at three am and continued after eight am. I'm still behind with 14k words but I'll do my best to finish CampNaNo.


End file.
